Surgery may involve control of vascular structures that supply blood to tissues, in order to prepare the tissue for removal from the body. For example, hysterectomy, whether performed abdominally, vaginally, or laparoscopically, requires control of the blood supply to the uterus, namely the uterine and ovarian arteries, before the organ can be transected and removed. With laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH), for example, the technique often involves ligation of the uterine-ovarian (or infundibulo-pelvic) ligaments, the broad and cardinal ligaments, the last of which contains the uterine arteries. Several techniques are used to transect these tissues and ligate the blood vessels contained within them including mono- and bi-polar electrocoagulation, staples, sutures and the harmonic scalpel. Once the uterine arteries have been ligated, the cervix may be amputated by one of several methods, including monopolar or bipolar cautery, the harmonic scalpel, or by cutting the cervix with scissors. These techniques, while effective, usually take significant time and skill, especially in avoiding injury to neighboring structures, including the bowel and ureters. Visualization of this area is essential during the amputation of the cervix, and is often hampered by an enlarged uterus, the presence of lower uterine segment or cervical fibroids, or by bowel that is difficult to retract from the cul-de-sac.